Fire-resisting construction.



PATENTED MAY 31, 1904.

- 0. HANSON.

FIRE RESISTING CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5, 1903.

I0 HODSL.

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FIG. I.

WITNESSES:

mmnmommoummmua IN VENTOR UNITED STATES Patented May 31, 190 b PATENTOFFICE.

FIRE-RESISTING CONSTRUCTION SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentN0. 761,375, dated May 31., 1904.

Application filed o e w 5, 1903. SBI'iB-I NO- 179,985. (No modelfi Toall whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OLOF HANSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of \Vashington,have invented a new and useful Method of Slow-BurningorFireResistingConstruction, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in building construction in wood onthe princiles generally known as slow-burning or mill construction; andthe objects of my invention are, first, to secure better appearance bypermitting of having an unbroken ceiling without sacrificing thefire-resisting qualities of the construction; second, to prevent damageto the structure from the swelling of the timbers when wet; third, toincrease the fire-resisting qualities of the construction, which forthis reason I choose to call fire-resisting construction. I attain theseobjects by the methods illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is an isometric view showing the construction of floors.Fig. 2 is an isometric view showing the construction of walls andpartitions, and Fig. 3 shows a pin or doublepointed spike for connectingthe timbers together.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In Fig. 1, A shows the floor beams or joists, which rest on walls orgirders and are placed near together, but not in contact, and connectedby a metal spline B and fastened together by means of pins (1. Thefinished flooring F may be laid directlyon the beams A; but to take upirregularities in the beams I place strips D on the beams and fill thespace between with cinders or mortar E. The ceiling may be left exposedor plastered, preferably on metal lath.

Fig. 2 shows a wall or partition constructed in the same manner, theupright timbers H being connected by metal splines B and pins C andmaybe plastered, preferably on metal lath.

The object of using the several parts and their difference from othermethods of construction will be further expla ned below.

usual mode of supporting floors is by using heavy beams or joists abouteight by twelve inches placed six or eight feet apart and covered with afloor-lining of three-inch plank grooved and splined with three-fourthsinch by one and one-half inch wood splines,

and on top of this a finish-floor is laid. If it is desired to finishthe ceiling by plastering or otherwise, the finish must follow theoutline of the plank and beams. This broken ceiling is unsightly, andhence this method does not find general favor where appearance is aconsideration. To overcome this objection and secure a smooth ceiling, Iplace the beams or joists A near together, connecting them by splinesand pins, and omit the floorlining entirely.

To groove and spline the larger beams in the same manner as the plankwould be difficult, expensive, and sometimes impracticable.

In place of the wood spline I substitute a thin spline B of metal made,preferably, of galvanized hoop-iron about one and one-half inches wide,and instead of a threc-fourthsinch groove I use a thin groove, which maybe cut at the building by means of a small circular saw operated by amotor or other suitable power.

In slow-burning construction it is the practice to drive the planksclose together. In case of fire or flooding a floor the swelling of theplank causes them to push against the walls and may overthrow them, ashas actually happened. To prevent this danger from The beams A arefastened together by means of pins or double-pointed spikes C, insertedin holes bored in the beams at corresponding These pms or spikes mayhave a intervals. head or washer on the center to keep the beams at theproper distance apart, and in case of swelling of the timber this heador washer will sink into the wood without inter- 5 In slow-burning ormill construction the fering with the swellin The same object- 103 viz.to keep the beams at the proper distance apartmay also be attained inother ways besides that above mentioned, the essential thing being tospace the beams properly, so as to allow them to swell or shrink withoutdamage to the building.

The observations in regard to spacing floortimbers also apply topartitions and walls, although as the danger of swelling there is lessit is not so important that they be spaced apart.

I am aware that solid floors have been constructed heretofore by placingjoists close together and spiking them together one after the other. '1therefore do not make a broad claim on solid floors: but

\Vhat I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is-

1. A floor constructed of rectangular wood beams of greater depth thanwidth, resting on walls or girders, and placed not more than one inchapart but not in close contact, so as to leave a space between the beamsfor the purpose specified.

' 2. A fioor constructed of rectangular wood beams of greater depth thanwidth, resting on walls or girders, and placed. not more than one inchapart butnot in close contact, and

beams resting on walls or girders, and placed not more than one inchapart but not in close contact, connected by splines preferably ofmetal, and secured together by pins or heavy spikes, substantially asshown and for the purpose specified. v

5. A partition or wall constructed of upright rectangular timbers,placed not more than one inch apart but not in close contact, connectedby splines preferably of metal, and secured together by pins or heavyspikes, substantially as shown and for the purpose specified.

OLOF HANSON.

\Vitnesses:

MAX UMBRECHT, GEO. DRIVER.

